Automatic rifles such as the AR-15 style are typically equipped or adapted to be equipped with a relatively rigid plastic or metal piece commonly (referred to as a rail) equipped to mount onto a rifle forearm. The rifle forearm generally encases a forward portion of the firearm in AR-15 style rifle barrels. These mounting rails may be defined as having a ribbed outer surface having a repetitive sequence of cross-wise ribs separated by recessed box-shaped valleys. The ribs are often equipped with a pair of longitudinally ribs or flanged overhangs extending along its sidewalls. The rails serve as a mounting site for a host of rifle accessories.
These mounting rails may be provided with the manufactured firearm or may be subsequently added as a forearm attachment to AR-15 rail mounts. The rails (typically mounted on top, beneath and along the sidewalls) are particularly useful as a forearm topside mount for rifle accessories typically of a visual and sighting use such as scopes or when mounted to the forearm underside for supportive accessories such as a monopod, bipod, or tripod mount which are typically used to steady the aim of the firearm. All of the currently available mounting rail attachments serving as a mount for auxiliary accessories rely upon cumbersome designs such as the use of set screws or other cumbersome unhandy engaging members requiring attentive care and typically two hands for their assembly onto the rail. Accordingly these exists a need for a rail mounting attachment which may readily attached, set and locked at a desired attachment position. The difficulties in setting and locking a monopod, bipod, or tripod or any other mounted accessory at a desired mounting position becomes even more trying under inclimate conditions such as those encountered under frigid arctic conditions when the user often wears gloves. The present invention provides a mounting device which quickly assembles, locks and unlocks from the rail affording rapid attachment and detachment from the rail.